''Synchronised Swimmers'' is the second album by
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...
ic artist
Hafdís Huld
Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir (; born 22 May 1979), known simply as Hafdís Huld, is an Icelandic singer and actress. She began her musical career as a member of the electronic band GusGus in 1995 and left the group in 1999. Hafdís made her sol ...
. The album was released in 2009, roughly coinciding with Hafdís performing at the
Iceland Airwaves
Iceland Airwaves is a music festival annually held in early November in Reykjavík, Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populat ...
music festival in
Reykjavík
Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a pop ...
. Kónguló was the first single from the album and was released during the summer the same year. So far the album is only available in Iceland, but it will be available in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
and the rest of the world in early 2010.
Critical reception
''Synchronised Swimmers'' has received mixed reviews from music critics. Samantha Hatfield of BuzzleGoose wrote that "Hafdis Huld has produced a really strong album that is upbeat and will appeal to fans of 90s era chick rock music. Her folksy and eccentric way of constructing Synchronised Swimmers has certainly paid off." Michael Cragg of
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide ...
meanwhile gave the album a rating of 2/5, nothing that "as the album progresses, however, Huld's need to appear kooky becomes cloying."
Track listing
# "Action Man" – 3:50
# "Oldest Friend" – 3:30
# "Kónguló" – 2:52
# "One of Those Things" – 3:26
# "Boys and Perfume" – 3:24
# "Synchronised Swimmers" – 3:19
# "Daisy" – 3:31
# "Time of My Life" – 3:59
# "Homemade Lemonade" – 3:19
# "I Almost Know a Criminal" – 3:15
# "Robot Robot" – 2:12
# "Vampires" – 3:01
# "Winter Sun" – 4:03
References
See also
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Music of Iceland
The music of Iceland includes vibrant folk and pop traditions, as well as an active classical and contemporary music scene. Well-known artists from Iceland include medieval music group Voces Thules, alternative rock band The Sugarcubes, singers ...
2009 albums
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